Texas National Guard to provide mass testing for Stephens County

Note: Registration for testing will not go live until 8 a.m. Wednesday, April 29. Citizens interested in getting tested must call and make appointment starting at that time.

Governor Greg Abbott is deploying the Texas National Guard to provide free mass mobile COVID-19 testing for Stephens County on Thursday, April 30. The mobile testing will take place at the Apostolic Lighthouse UPC, located at 1509 E Walker St.

Stephens County Judge Michael Roach said, “These are physicians who will work 10 hours to conduct around 60 tests. We want to provide, at no cost to our citizens, core samples to see if anyone in Stephens County is infected. We do not want to duplicate what our medical team is already doing. This is for anyone who wants to be tested. This is not only for those who are symptomatic.”

The mobile testing teams will be focusing on both rural areas that have not had access to testing and identified ‘Hot-Spots” where additional testing capability is needed to augment what is currently in place.

This is a collaborative initiative between the Texas Department of State Health Services and Regional Advisory Council (HPP Providers), Texas Division Emergency Management, Texas Military Department, and the Texas Emergency Management Task Force.

“We want to see our first responders, if the departments want to do that, (participate),” said Judge Roach. “We will also have a second phase of testing the following week. They will be able to test another 120-130 using two lanes. We will let you know when and where as soon as we find out.”

“When we get the number back on this, it will show how we’ve done in Stephens County. (…) We only have one case, but we want to reach into the community to see who has the virus and who doesn’t in a random sample and go from there. We want to be able to make decisions based on the data these random testings will provide.”

Citizens must register for an appointment. To set a testing appointment, call 512-883-2400 or via online at the https://txcovidtest.org/. The process will be swabbed through the nostrils and folks will be allowed to leave.

“I want the community to call that number and fill up slots for testing,” County Judge Roach said.